Car-coupling.



WIT/VE SES FAT' A. L. & B. LK. ROBERTS.

GAR GOUPLING.

APPLIUATION FILED 00118. 191s.

Patented Jan-13, 1914J 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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/2 23 manners COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPN co.. WASHINGTUN. u. t.

i UNITED STATES PATENT GFFTCE. l

' AUGUSTA LEB ROBERTS Alvin BERTHA LOUISE KAHNB ROBERTS, or ASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that we, AUGUSTA L. ROBERTS 'and BERTHA L. KAHNE ROBERTS, citizens of emergency connecting yoke to which the coupling knuckle is pivoted, this particular invention constituting an improvement over the device covered by Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,040,690, issued to us on October S, 1912.

More specifically stated, this improvement provides for a number of structural features of advantage of the detachable yoke memberl constituting the main part of the device, whereby the same is strengthened and otherwise made more reliable in practice.

A further object of the invention is to devise an improved form of coupler head or block for advantageous cooperation with said improved form of yoke.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a device made in accordance with this invention, the knuckle being shown in locked position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4f is a front end elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, a portion of the knuckle being broken away to show in elevation one of the concave bearing seats 1n the front face of the head which is adapted to receive direct coperation with the knuckle, as indicated also in Fig. 3; land Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the yoke detached.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without depart- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led October 1S, 1913.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914:.

Serial No. 795,887.

ing from the spirit of the invention herein- .after more fully set forth and Specifically claimed.

In carrying out this invention in its preferred form we provide for the head 10, having a shank 11, a block 12. The block is of peculiar construction adapting it for the highest eliiciency in practice, combining in one device maximum strength proportionate to the minimum mass of metal. Said block is recessed in its front face at 13 for the accommodation of the knuckle 14 as usual, and at the upper and lower edges of said recess are formed a pair of circular bearing faces 15 in vertical alinement. The block extends laterally on the outside beyond the knuckle where said lateral extension leads upwardly and downwardly forming what we prefer to term a pair of pillows 16. Said pillows are located just outside of the bearings 15 and vertically on opposite sides thereof. The rear portion of the block 12 where it merges into the shank 11 is slightly undercut as shown at 12.

The yoke 17 shown detached in Fig. 5 comprises upper and lower main parallel members 18 and 19 respectively connected at their rear ends by means of a vertical bar 20. Said members 18 and 19 are provided with elliptical knuckle pin holes 21 through which the knuckle pin 22 extends while holding the knuckle in place ony the head, the knuckle having rounded shoulders 23 coperating directly with said bearings 15 of the head. The elliptical holes 21 of the yoke relieve the yoke from the jamming effect of the cars incidental to the coupling operation or irregularities in the running of the trains. Any shocks or blows which may be transmitted rearwardly through the knuckle will be received by the shoulders 23 and upon the bearings 15 rather than upon the pin or yoke. The yoke member 19 is provided with a loop or bail 24 constituting a broken pin retainer. The length of the pin is such that in normal position the lower end thereof is spaced from the loop but inv between the block 12 and the shank 11, it being provided with an angularly arranged face 20 adapted to tit into said undercut 12 of t-he block. Adjacent the angles between the vertical bar 2O and the respective me1nbers 18 and 19 we provide a pair of lugs or projections 24 coperating respectively with the rear edges of the pillows 16, as shown especially in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby the draft between the yoke and the head is strengthened. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the members 18 and 19 of the yoke are quite broad and have their outer edges interlocking within the inner vertical faces of the pillows 16. The primary purpose of the pillows in their coperation with the parallel members of the yoke is to resist any tendency of the main train draft on the point of the knuckle to force the knuckle and the yoke laterally or in a direction tending to shove it from the head block.

'Ihe operation of the device may be briefly described as follows supplemental to the foregoing description of the construction: In assembling the device the yoke is introduced into its place from the rear of the block 12, the parallel members 18 and 19 sliding freely along the upper and lower1 faces of the block and along the inner sur faces of the pillows, this action being limited by the face 20 coming into engagement with the surfaces 12 and the lugs 25 coming into engagement with the rear edges of the pillows. 'Ihe pin 22 then passing downwardly through the yoke hubs 18 and 19 and the knuckle serves to hold both of these parts in position. The operation of the knuckle and coupler as a whole is the same as usual-in Janney couplers. Should a yoke become broken, and in this connection it should be noted that the weakest points of these couplers usually prove to be the hubs, the broken yoke may readily be discarded and a new one put into its place in a moments time by any person even though inexperienced in this art. yokes is comparatively slight and the advantage due to saving time is enormous with the railroad companies.

Having thus described our invention, we

The expense of the Q claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: i

1. In a device of the characterset forth, the combination with a head having a laterally projecting block and a knuckle coperating therewith, of a yoke detachably connected to the block, said yoke spanning the block on its upper and lower faces, and a pin securing all of these parts together, the coupler block being provided with a pair of pillows serving to prevent outward or lateral displacement of the yoke.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a head and a knuckle coperating therewith, said head being provided with an integral laterally extending block, said block having upwardly and downwardly alined extending pillows, of a removable and replaceable yoke having a pair of parallel horizontal members cooperating with the upper and lower faces of the head block, and fitted against the inner faces of said pillows, said yoke members terminating in vertically alined hubs having elliptical holes, and a pin passing downwardly through said yoke hubs and knuckle securing the head, knuckle and yoke together,

3. In a car coupler, the combination with a head and a knuckle cooperating therewith,

f said head having a laterally extending block Vhaving formed integrally therewith upwardly and downwardly extending pillows, of a yoke comprising upper and lower parallel members cooperating with the head and lying within the pillows, said members hav ing alined hubs, the yoke also including a vertical bar fitted against the rear face of the block and also having a pair of lugs 25 'abutting against the rear ends of said pillows, and a pin passing through the yoke hubs and the knuckle serving to hold the head, yoke and knuckle together.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTA LEE ROBERTS. BERTHA LOUISE KAHNE ROBERTS. Witnesses:

FRANCES, KLINE, RUTH E. SiMrsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

